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Email letters, Feb. 20, 2012

Roller derby is a fun and entertaining family event. Yet, Grand Junction doesn’t support their team. We don’t understand why it is so difficult for the Grand Junciton roller Girls to find a venue to skate here in Grand Junction.

The first bout was held at one of the airport hangars and it was jam packed with so many local fans. Then that venue fell through. Why won’t a local school for the university let them use their gym — public schools for which we pay taxes, I might add. So many towns and cities in Colorado an Utah support their roller derby by letting them use spaces in their schools, but not Grand Junction.

Isn’t there anyone who can help the Grand Junction Roller Girls skate for us? We miss roller derby.

RACHEL BUDMAN
BILL BURKE
Grand Junction
Celebrating only one religion’s music is short sighted

As an evangelical Christian, I certainly appreciate James Harper’s desire to demonstrate his faith. However, I feel his thinking is a little short-sighted.

Here’s a simple question: What would have happened to the New York Philharmonic’s repertoire if Leonard Bernstein (a Jew) had decided that Mozart, Beethoven, Mahler or heaven forbid, Vivaldi (all Christians) were worshipping another God?

I could go on for quite some time, with an exhaustive list of artists performing music that contradicts their personal faith, but we would run out of space and time.

All of this is to say that the world would be enjoying music less if the Harper orthodoxy prevailed in the music world. Thankfully, it doesn’t.

RICHARD MILLER
Durango

Residents say no to proposed asphalt plant

We reside less than three miles directly downwind from the proposed asphalt plant. We have lived here since 2003 and also have a direct view across the mesa to the proposed site.

When we purchased our property, we were told there was no gas here and now we have seven plus pads within 1/2 mile of our home, five within less than 1/4 mile. We have had to endure leaks associated with the activity, the heavy truck traffic several dozen daily — and now the developers want us to endure the exposure due to asphalt production.

Our property value has been reduced substantially due to the gas extraction activity and now developers want to approve an asphalt batch plant directly upwind of our home? No way, we have already lost value due to the gas extraction. There is already an asphalt batch plant in the valley east of us which we see from our home.

This is an agricultural area and as such an asphalt batch plant is unacceptable and must not be approved.

DONALD AND LINDA WHILLDIN
Silt

Support is needed for local patent office

Colorado is a hub for economic innovation. We have savvy entrepreneurs, a highly skilled workforce and an array of top-tier research institutions. Our unparalleled quality of life, anchored by incredible natural beauty, continues to make Colorado a place where people want to live, work and raise a family.

These things make Colorado a perfect location for the new satellite patent office. The United States Patent and Trade Office is in the process of selecting a location. A patent office would be a boon for our innovation-based industries that rely on speedy patent approvals, and we are home to many technology professionals who would be excellent candidates for patent examiner jobs.

If we are selected, it would mean hundreds of new jobs for Coloradans and even more indirectly. It would bring an estimated economic impact of nearly $440 million over the first five years.

Over the years, broad coalitions of business and government leaders have gotten behind this push. We provided a boost when I was able to pass an amendment, cosponsored by Sen. Mark Udall, calling for the creation of new satellite patent offices.

With your help and support, we can bring a patent office to Colorado. It will advance our position as a place where innovation and job creation can thrive. Please sign my petition calling for the United States Patent and Trade Office to select Colorado as the home of its next satellite office by visiting my website at http://bennet.senate.gov.

SEN. MICHAEL F. BENNET
Denver
Families of missing men thank searchers

Our young men are laid to rest. The families of Mark Widegren and Brian Axe want to thank each and every hearty soul who came to search for them. My dear, dear people, you are a testament to the goodness of the human heart. We are so grateful.

We had hoped for a different outcome. But we did find them and brought them home. How would we have left if they had not been found? The searchers’ sacrifice and time were a gift to us that we can never repay. All we can do is pay some small fraction of it forward.

How is it that we as a nation continue to honor drug-addicted celebrities. These artists are role models for our children and yet they are deeply involved in addiction. We have given so much time and attention to Michael Jackson and now Whitney Huston — great stars, but what did they do for our country?

How can Gov. Chis Christie put flags at half mast for someone who abused drugs most of her adult life. There are so many real life heroes in this country who do not get this kind of attention. What does that say to our children?

ANNE FITGERALD
Grand Junction

Options Fair highlights educational opportunities around the valley

In studying choice, one of the problems is getting the word out to parents and students, educating them on the choices they do have. To address this, I’m excited to announce that District 51 is putting on our first annual Option Fair.

If you have children, grandchildren or just want to know more, we will showcase our options and choice schools Feb. 22, 4 p.m. To 7 p.m. at R-5 (7th & Grand). We’ll have food, prizes and a drawing for a computer reconditioned by the Career Center.

Schools will include: R-5 (flexible high school schedule with high school credit for work), Vision School (homeschool), Grand River Virtual Academy (rigorous on-line), Western Colorado Community College (high school with college credit) and the Career Center. School of choice information and tables for neighborhood elementary, middle and high schools will also be displayed.

Come learn about our District 51 options and choices and win a prize.

ANN TISUE
Grand Junction

JUCO reserved seats doesn’t suit regular attendees

For the past 40 plus year, our family has purchased four JUCO tournament tickets for around $100. We got up early and got to the gates and visited with the other members of the JUCO family until the gates opened. Then rushed to get the same seats.

We sat there because we would get shade, protection from rain and some protection from the wind. Now thanks to the JUCO Committee, those seat would cost $580 plus $58 fee, or $638. That is to sit where there is no-longer any shade, protection from the wind or rain. And the seats are not as comfortable as the stadium seats we used to bring in.

I think it is time to find some other activity for the Memorial Day weekend.

LEROY WILLIAM FOREE
Fruita
McIntyre’s column was appreciated by newcomer

As a new comer to the Grand Valley, I appreciated Erin McIntyre’s article on planting seeds. Her information was the area-specific I have been looking for. I, also, enjoyed the touch of humor. I hope I see her in print more often.

Locally, this threat to truly democratic elections stems from two acts of omission: failure to randomize opened ballots after batch counts are machine-verified, and failure to proactively minimize distinct combined ballot styles that can be traced back to voters.

Because it is now statutorily too late to redraw precinct boundaries to eliminate precinct splitting by smaller special voting districts (and thereby reduce the number of combined ballot styles) in time for the November general election, a remaining practicable remedy is to conduct elections for smaller special voting districts by separate ballot.

Therefore, the local Democratic Party has formally asked Reiner to: First, shuffle 1,000 opened ballots together, so that none of those randomized ballots can be reliably linked to a voter via the original batch number. Second, conduct special district elections involving fewer than 1,000 electors via separate ballot (thereby reducing the number of distinct combined ballot styles and perhaps saving printing costs).

So, arguably, rather than waste more taxpayers’ money by embroiling Mesa County in another lawsuit, Reiner can likely extricate her office from Marks’ litigation simply by taking common sense steps to fix the flawed procedures that threaten voter anonymity. Reiner’s response is anticipated on Feb. 21
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BILL HUGENBERG
Grand Junction

Special Forces missions should not be compromised

At what point does political maneuvering and committing a national security travesty cross over?

For years, the Navy Seals have been widely known for their brave and heroic tasks and efforts to help bring about a safer world. Included in this mix of mystery and heroic actions has been a veil of secrecy known to no other military entity. The reason, quite simply being, their work is always of a secretive nature needing no fore warning and certainly no post heroics and exposure.

SEALS do not discuss their missions with outsiders simply to protect their comrades and themselves. Even family members rarely know what their SEAL does daily, and certainly never are given the details of a mission. A big reason for this is that when your life depends on another in your group, absolute complete trust and faith in that person is required. You will not find a greater camaraderie in the military or daily life than you will in the Navy Seals. Looking at death and depending on your fellow SEAL is paramount.

Immediately after the Bin Laden mission performed by SEAL Team Six, the people along with the president agreed that the particulars of the mission would not be made public. This is as it should be. So, it can only be for political gain that many, many details of the mission were exposed by the administration, Obama, Biden, Panetta, anonymous and others within days. The equipment used the details of the raid, the results of the raid the participation of Seal Team Six, the timing of the mission, all done with complete disregard for the safety and well being of those who were involved in the raid.

Even if this event was over, the after effects of the “loose lips” political grandstanding and complete disregard for the age-old silence required and maintained by our Special Forces was a slap in the face to those men who put their lives on the line daily. If they do not talk of their missions with outsiders, why is it the administration feels they have the right to do so? Tactics discussed are now compromised for future use thanks to these inconsiderate politicos. After spending three years in Vietnam and working as a diver, there are many things I did not (at the time) and even now discuss with others.

For Obama and his people to trample on a time held tradition and unspoken rule is beyond incomprehensible. I am sure there are the Bill Grants of the left that consider it their right to know these things. But trust me, no one has the right to know everything about what our Special Forces do. If there is to be a public statement made concerning a mission, it should come from the unit’s command personnel — not some political grand stander.

DAVID SHRUM
Grand Junction
Nothing is free when it comes from the government

I am so sick and tired of the liberal talking heads and the Obama administration telling us that the contraceptive issue is “free.” Nothing is free, especially if it comes from the government. The government can only giveth after it takes away. Wake up, people.

L.W. HUNLEY
Grand Junction

Santorum’s 2008 lecture should concern Protestants

Anyone who follows politics these days is (or should be) keenly aware of Republican presidential nominee hopeful Rick Santorum’s generally antediluvian belief system, especially on religious and social matters. These beliefs have suddenly become even more controversial with the unearthing of an audio tape of a 2008 lecture Santorum gave to students at Florida’s Ave Maria University.

To put things into perspective, Ave Maria University (founded by Domino’s Pizza mogul Tom Monaghan) is to radical Catholics as Bob Jones University is to radical Protestants.

The former Pennsylvania senator began his talk by contending the Judeo-Christian ethic supposedly embraced by our Founding Fathers is somehow fatally flawed because it was strictly a mainstream Protestant concept, with little or no Catholic input. He then dropped a bombshell that is sure to come back to haunt him in the unlikely event he gets the Republican presidential nomination.

“And the Protestant ethic, mainstream, mainline Protestantism, and of course we look at the shape of mainline Protestantism in this country and it is a shambles, it is gone from the world of Christianity as I see it.”

By saying Protestantism is “gone from the world of Christianity,” he seems to be declaring that Protestants aren’t really true Christians at all. Wow.

If I were a local Protestant who voted for Rick Santorum in the recent Republican caucus, I think I’d be feeling a sense of betrayal right about now.

E. MICHAEL ERVIN
Grand Junction
Sentinel ignorant about Islam

The Daily Sentinel editorial reflects a certain ignorance of Islam and of the founders.Unless I am mistaken Montesquieu was cited more than any other European (but still far less often than the supreme authority of our Christian scripture) during the founding era (see Wm. J. Federer America’s God and Country Encyclopedia of quotations. pp153-54 note186 -c.f. John Eidsmoe Christianity and the Constitution,Baker Books ppb 1995 pp.51-56 -c.f Daniel L Dreisbach Thomas Jefferson and the Wall of Separation between Church and State. Who also cites both Eidsmoe and Donald S.Lutz,and Charles Hyneman)

While I cannot profess to be as knowing of the founders as the editor of this Daily Sentinel claims to be, I have not read any of the founders who spoke with as much contempt for Christians and with such praise for Islam as this editor for the Sentinel. KREX broadcast the story of the senior quitting choir —and it was picked up by Free Republic.

To their credit, KREX has broadcast a segment “Expert Warns against singling Islamic prayer that prompted high school student quit the choir” and KREX cites Steve Hagerman of Turkish World Organization — whom I believe agree with Robert Spencer, and several others concerning the advancement of Islam by this school. I guess anybody who disagrees with the dhimmi at the Daily Sentinel are more like the fanatical imams who teach Islam in the mosques and incite riots like the one on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem Israel where about 50 Palestinians stoned Christian tourists leading to the arrest of 11 Palestinians. Or maybe the good Muslims in America who have willingly participated in honor slayings and beheadings here in the USA encouraged no doubt by those more shariah compliant like the editor of the Sentinel.

I can’t think of a single quote from any of the founders who would equal what was published by the Sentinel. Jefferson had a copy of the Koran. But Jefferson said Jesus of Nazareth was greater than their Mohammed. Jefferson had a Koran but as president he required the Christian Bible and Watts hymnal be used in the classrooms of Washington D.C. Ask Barak Hussein Obama II whose father was from Kenya ,whose actions and policies reflect favorably Islam — or Communistic Atheism than they do the founders
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Ask him, maybe he can tell you what to say.

ROBERT JAMES BURKHOLDER
Fruita

COMMENTS

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By E. Michael Ervin - Tuesday, February 21, 2012

Mr. Burkholder - You really do need to get a life. I will personally assure you that no hordes of Islamic terrorists will descend on Grand Junction to defile our women and impose their beliefs on the good Christians of Happy Valley. In reality, religious belief is meaningless as all of it is based on mythology and superstition, not proven fact - that’s why it’s called “faith.” Faith is not fact. Faith, by definition, cannot be fact.